India is celebrating its victory in World Cup 2011. After achieving 7.2% overall economic growth rate, and after the recovery from global economic meltdown, being the best Cricket Team in the world, without any doubt, made India more shining.
India is shining indeed. But beneath glittering first layer, behind this bright smiling face an ugly cavity has been formed, what could turn into a cancer and devastate the upcoming glorious future.
Now just think, when you were watching the final match with your family, who were serving the popcorn and cold drinks? Or when you were celebrating by bursting crackers have you thought who made those crackers?
If the pop corns you have eaten has been served by a 13 years old maid servant Vinita, or the rocket you have bought from market has made by a 10 years old boy Kabir, what do you think the possibility of our country?
Nearly 20 million children (age of below 14) are engaged in various laborious jobs through out the country, but some NGOs claim that the number is as high as 50 million. India has been placed second in the world for using children in various hazardous works, right after Africa. From 1979, a number of measure has been taken by the Government of India, what includes the Recent amendment of Right to Education Bill (RTE).the masseurs like providing midday mill have helped to decrease the number of school drop-out rate, but its not effectively large.
These measures have failed to create an overall awareness. Even a student of 10th standard preparing for Board Exam is familiar with these Numbers. But, that's it! These statistics never touched our conscience.
Bitter to read and hard to accept, but its us people, who help or encourage in someway or other to steal these childhoods. The girl who has served you pop corn and cold drinks during the cricket match, could have had a proper education and thus a better life. If you would’nt have hired him, the little boy who is working as a labor to built your house could have played with his schoolmates, on the school ground. But again, those statistics never come to our mind while hiring them.
The most common excuse for giving employment to these little children is fight poverty and giving them financial support. In one way that approach is correct. When you give a job to a child, that dose help his or her family. But try to think the entire thing in another way, if this process is being stopped by us, those children wouldn't have an option but to go to school by taking financial help from the government.but then another question comes to our mind, if i do not give him the job some one else will do, then what? and that's way the entire cycle begun.and to stop a cycle you must take a point, any random point.
READ MORE on AddiQtd The Little Magazine (April Issue)
by Bishwavijay Mitra
photo by Prasanta Singha
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